Make your sleep count!

We don’t believe in performing a test simply for the sake of it. Our Sleep Specialists care about diagnosing and treating your sleep in its entirety.

The whole breadth and depth of sleep disorders matters to us, because it matters to you and your health. So if your Sleep Doctor is only interested in Sleep Apnoea, then you’re seeing the wrong Sleep Doctor. We’re experts in all these sleep disorders and more, and can treat all of them individually.

Snoring

Snoring is embarrassing.
Snoring is disruptive.
But did you know that snoring might mean you have Sleep Apnoea?
Snoring results from the vibration of tissue at the back of your throat. This comes from a combination of palatal vibration and retrolingual (tongue base) collapse.
Snoring is usually an indicator of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).

This noise might be the only indicator that you could have OSA – something much worse and with much more detrimental effects on your health.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

OSA occurs when your upper airway closes over in the night. It usually occurs due to retrolingual (tongue base) collapse.

The tongue falls to the back of your throat, air flow reduces or ceases, and you continually wake up in the night.

OSA is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, atrial fibrillation (AF), and motor vehicle accidents.
It makes you tired and sleepy during the day, you may be losing productivity and capacity to work.

CPAP therapy

Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) allows control of OSA.

CPAP requires a prescription from a Sleep Specialist, and at our centre we always do this face-to-face. We’ll point you in the right direction, without being biased in selling you anything you don’t need or don’t want. If you have OSA, then CPAP remains the best initial treatment for you.

Invented in Australia (yes, it’s a local invention) in 1980, CPAP has revolutionised OSA and CSA treatment, but still needs careful attention and care.

The Restless Legs Syndrome (Willis-Ekbom disease)

If you have a restlessness or an ache in your legs, usually at times of rest, or in the evenings, and moving makes it better, then you probably have RLS.

RLS is a common neurological (sensorineuronal) condition, manifesting usually of an evening and can be extremely irritating. It can also contribute to sleep fragmentation, and fragmented sleep means poor functioning the next day.

RLS can overlap with many other conditions. Some home sleep studies don’t even look at limb movements in the night, but we do because we care. RLS is easy to diagnose, and easy to treat.

Narcolepsy / Idiopathic Hypersomnolence

If you’re profoundly sleepy during the day, and you don’t have another sleep disorder, then you might have Narcolepsy or Idiopathic Hypersomnia. These conditions are known as Central Hypersomnias, and a home sleep study (also known as an ambulatory study) won’t be able to diagnose them. And did you know there are currently eight different kinds of Central Hypersomnias?

• A home sleep study won’t be enough to diagnose this.
• You’ll need a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) in a hospital.

Our sleep laboratory is one of the few private Sleep Labs in Adelaide that perform MSLTs.

We care for the largest cohort of Narcoleptics in Adelaide. Our sleep doctors are experienced in diagnosing and treating your Narcolepsy and related conditions, including the use of Dexamphetamine, Methylphenidate (known also as Concerta™ or Ritalin™), Modafinil (Modavigil™), and Sodium Oxybate (Xyrem™).

We also use alternative non-drug treatments including timed napping and bright light therapy too.

Circadian Rhythm Disturbances

Believe it or not, our innate body clocks don’t run on a 24hour cycle. We rely on our own body clock to run smoothly, balanced by external checks and cues (known as Zeitgebers). When these checks and cues don’t work as well, you could develop a Circadian Rhythm Disturbance.